How to De-Ice Your Roof Without Damaging It

By
Divine Roofing
|November 02, 2016

Ice buildup is a serious problem for a lot of Colorado homes during winter.
Most ice buildup is caused by “ice dams,” which are created
when warm air from inside the home heats the roof, melting the snow, which
then re-freezes on the edge of your roof where the temperature is lower.
This does not allow melted water and snow to escape off your roof, placing
a significant additional load on the support structure as well as creating
leaks from stagnant water that is unable to escape to your gutters.

Therefore, it is strongly advised that homeowners de-ice their roof regularly
in order to prevent this kind of buildup from occurring. Be careful when
doing so, however, as some de-icing techniques can cause serious damage
to your roof. Here are a few tips for de-icing that won’t further
harm your roof.

Don’t Use an Axe or Pick

The old-school way of de-icing your roof is to get up on a ladder and hack
away at the ice with a pick or an axe. This is an effective way to remove
ice, but this requires extreme caution—many people over-chop and
damage their roof. Not to mention if you dislodge too much, you could
be in serious danger of getting swept off the ladder by sliding or falling
ice, causing serious injury. Spare yourself the risk.

Roof Tablets

These are pretty safe as they’re designed to remove ice from your
roof, but may involve you getting the ladder out unless you can perfectly
land the tablet where you want every single time. That and they also take
a really long time to get the job done. Many people often consider them
not worth the money.

Fill Pantyhose with Salt or Other Ice Melting Compound

Taking a mesh stocking, filling it with rock salt or other ice-melting
compound and laying it across your ice dam can help melt. This still requires
you to break out the ladder though, which is always risky in extremely
cold weather. And like the roof tablets, this can take a seriously long
time. Not to mention certain compounds are only effective down to a certain
temperature, so if it gets any colder then it won’t work at all.

Heated Cable

These are a somewhat effective method of de-icing. So long as you get a
heated cable that is water-tight and can withstand outdoor use, this could
be a very effective way to de-ice with very little effort. While you can
put them up after snow has fallen, they’re more effective if you
install them before the first big snowfall. Once the dam has melted enough,
it should be easy to remove.

If your roof is damaged by an ice dam, or an ill-fated attempt to remove
it, do not hesitate to contact
Divine Roofing, Inc. Our Colorado Springs roofers are highly-trained and certified in the
latest repair techniques and can restore the roof over your head in an
efficient and cost-effective manner.